Hanjan's Late-Night Ramyun

"Ramen is listed on the menu as ramyun," Wells wrote in his review of Hanjan, referring to the noodle dish that's only available after 10 p.m., "one of the large plates, which implies sharing," he continued. "I recommend eating it alone at the bar, where you can have all four slices of sweet pork to yourself and make as much noise as you want slurping the bouncy, squiggly noodles out of the steaming and chile-hot soup."

On a recent night, we did just that. It was close to midnight. There was no one at the bar and only two tables had people at them, one of which was Jean-Georges. We were only there for the ramen, because Hooni Kim starts simmering pork, chicken, fish bones, and chilies in water around noon everyday. Almost twelve hours later, the deep, spicy, rich broth is used to bathe tender, perfectly cooked noodles from Totto Ramen, a six-minute egg, scallions, and pork belly.

Makgoelli was the drink of choice. It's a wheat and rice fermented beverage - sort of a sake/saison hybrid. It's only slightly effervescent and it has a subtle sweetness that's perfect with the spicy noodles.

There was no shortage of flavor in the ramyun ($16), and the effort to source makgoelli ($9) does not go unnoticed. But neither does the price of late-night dining in Flatiron, where bigger spaces and higher rents affect the menu prices. When you compound these factors with the well-deserved attention Hooni Kim has received of late for his stellar cooking at Danji and Hanjan, the experience is likely to ring in a bit higher, which is why three bowls of ramen and three beers on 26th Street is $81 before tip.

My Hooni Said Shine Two Stars on the World

[sasah maslov for the nytimes]Sam Sifton gave Hooni Kim's "wee little restaurant on 52nd Street" one star in August 2011. That restaurant was Danji, Kim's first in New York. About a year and a half later, Kim opened Hanjan in Flatiron on the same stretch of West 26th Street that's home to Hill Country and Maysville. At Hanjan, Kim turns out Korean fare using the casual, whimsical, and small-plate template borrowed from the izakayas of Japan, where eating and drinking are regarded with the same ferver. Today, Pete Wells awards the newcomer two stars.

"Like Mr. Kim’s slightly older restaurant, Danji," Wells writes, "Hanjan has a menu divided between traditional Korean dishes (the pajeon) and new ideas (slices of raw wild salmon that you wrap around salad greens in a spicy sesame dressing). And once again, the cover versions and the original compositions are so much in touch with the spirit of Korean cooking that it can be hard to tell which is which."

"Mr. Kim may be more confident in his cooking this time around," Wells notes, "or more certain that New Yorkers will get it." He finds ingredients and menu items that suggest "Mr. Kim trusts his audience, and vice versa." Hooni Kim has built a relationhip with New Yorkers via the Korean pantry, and the two-star review reinforces the claim others have already made about Kim: he's the city's king of Korean. [NYTmes]

Buon Compleanno Eataly!

Eataly opened two years ago today.  The Flatiron location of the Italian mega store is the first in the states, though plans are quickly developing for Chicago and Los Angeles locations.  Dan Amatuzzi is the Wine Director at Eataly.  He oversees the wine program at each of Eataly's six restaurants and he works closely with Eataly's wine store.  Prior to Eataly, Dan was the Wine Director at Otto from May 2008 to July 2010.  I worked with Dan during these two great years and learned more about Italian wine than I ever imagined possible.  His passion, knowledge, and approach to wine lit a fire in me that continues to burn.  When Dan left to open Eataly, he offered me a job in the wine store.  I took it.  Always a fellow of few words, Dans advice was to show up on August 24th, a week before Eataly opened, and "Just ask for Niccolo."

Click to read more ...

Eleven Madison Park Will Turn Another Corner in September

Eleven Madison Park wants to be the best restaurant in the world.  In the fall of 2010, the restaurant took a new approach to hospitality.  EMP removed a few seats along with its a la carte option and implimented their 'grid menu'.  The idea behind the grid is to encourage interaction with the guests.  They choose from rows of ingredients, which might read something like this: tomato, crab, langostine, foie gras.  Once the guest's decisions are made, the kitchen builds their meal accordingly.

More changes are underway.  According to a Times article, one of these is a beer made by Ithaca Beer Company, brewed specially for the restaurant to pair with a cheese course (served in a picnic basket btw).  Shortly after Labor Day, the $125 prix fixe option will no longer be available once Chef Daniel Humm and General Manager Will Guidara impliment a few more changes that will result in a four hour, interactive dining experience under the lofty ceilings and lofty goals of Eleven Madison Park.

Update on Monday, July 30, 2012 at 5:04PM by Craig Cavallo

In other Humm/Guidara news, the president is going to be at a $40,000/plate fundraiser dinner tonight at sister restaurant in The NoMad Hotel.  Dinner just kicked off at 5pm and No Drama Obama will address the diners at 8pm.  The proceeds benefit the Obama Victory Fund 2012.

Remember the Almayass

This weeks review from Pete Wells reveals a family affair in Flatiron.  Almayass opened earlier this year on 21st Street and is operated largely in part by an Armenian family.  "In fact, family values set the tone for the whole experience of eating at Almayass. At times that is refreshing; occasionally, like one’s own family, it can drive you slightly bananas."  "One waiter, for instance, played the overbearing uncle."  "Another reminded us of the kind of shiftless cousin who never stays focused."

The original Almayass opened in Beirut in 1997.  Fast forward a decade and a half and the restaurant is operating in Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, New York City, and opening soon in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.  Here in New York, the cooking could use an upgrade, "Meats and seafood at Almayass tended to be overcooked; grilled prawns one night were so tough that I sliced them with effort and swallowed them with regret."

The food and the service weren't worthy of more than one star, but Wells is happy to have an Armenian restaurant to help answer his question, "Where have all the Armenian restaurants gone? A fixture of the city’s dining scene 50 years ago, they had all but vanished by the end of the last century."

Is That a Flatiron Whisk in Your Pants or Are You Just Happy to See Me?

Whisk is a kitchen appliance store in Williamsburg.  It opened at the end of 2008 and today it gets a sibling with a Flatiron location opening at 933 Broadway (@21st Street).

Natasha Amott is the person behind Whisk and her Flatiron outpost features a larger selection than its Brooklyn counterpart.  You can find high-end appliances from labels like Le Creuset, Cuisinart, and Calphalon next to small batch bitters from Rochester-based Fee Brothers.  The hours are Monday to Friday from 9am - 8pm and Sunday from 11am - 7pm.

Whisk is owned by the same people that run Uva Wines.  Uva is on 199 Bedford Ave (@ North 6th), just up the street from the Bedford Whisk location.  The store pays close attention to quality and price and their wonderfully curated selection of wines always has great values.  This week they're featuring some lighter style reds from Languedoc in the south of France.  Put a nice chill on them and enjoy them at your next BBQ.

More Alfresco Options with the New Gramercy Terrace

The Gramercy Terrace reopened last Friday on top of the Gramercy Park Hotel, 17 stories above Lexington Ave between 21st and 22nd.  The newly refurbished kitchen is twice the size of the old one and is operated by Jeff Seizer.

Their website points out that, "Gramercy Terrace combines all the charm of London's private gentlemen's clubs and the Bohemian bustle of a Viennese coffee house."

"Striking a balance between after-hours chic and the classic style of private membership clubs, the Gramercy Terrace is nothing less than a country club in the city."

The terrace opens at a busy time for nearby rooftop destinations.  TROTN (The Roof of The Nomad) starts serving their $125 five-course tasting next month, Birreria has got the hinges on their retractable roof well greased and ready for summer, and Tavern 29 is serving craft beers and pub food on the roof of a three story brownstone at 47 East 29th Street.

What Do You Mean I'm Funny?

The Nomad is the new project from the Eleven Madison Park team.  It opened in the The Nomad Hotel on Broadway and 28th last Monday.  On Friday, to celebrate the end of the week, and the immediate success of the restaurant, Henry Hill Daniel Humm and James Conway Will Guidara star in this Goodfellas-inspired video that takes us through their kitchen and dining room.

NoMad from Eleven Madison Park on Vimeo.